by Anna V.
It was just another day in the long year. Nothing exciting or good was happening. In fact, it was tougher now because it was the rainy season.
Fortunately our homes were carved way up high in the cliffs so the flood water would not reach us. We used long ladders to get down to the farmland.
My mother and I were out picking berries. She said to me, "Be sure not to miss or spill any. We need all the food we can get since there's so many people now."
"Yes, mother. I know," I replied, then thoroughly searched the bush I was working on.
"Perhaps we will have a good crop this year," my mother wondered out loud. "Or we might have a drought. But with the river and out well we should be okay."
After a while we headed back to the village. The sacred giant tree stood watching over everything. It has been here even before our ancestors first came here, so it is very old. Way over 200 years old.
While climbing up the ladder I saw dark clouds coming this way. Maybe we would get a good rain. I hoped so, because our crops depended on the annual rainfall.
Inside our apartment my father, who was also chief of the Sinagua People, was looking outside.
"There is lots of rain coming. Too much rain. I can see it falling over on the mountains. I shall have several other men come with me and build a quick dam so the river won't flood the area. Also, we'll build canals going away from the fields."
"Are you sure you'll get it done in time?" my mother asked.
"There is barely any wind so we will have at least a day to work. If everyone pitches in we will get it done."
He headed out the door. My mother sighed. He was taking this too seriously. At least he was being careful.
I was feeling a bit cold outside picking berries. The clouds were getting closer. So close that I could hear a bit of thunder. My mother heard it too and looked up.
"It's a flash flood coming," she said quietly. "We'd better start heading back home."
She continued picking berries, but was still moving slowly toward home. I wanted to ask my father to come inside too, so I started inching toward the river. After a while I snuck behind a few trees. My mother didn't know I was gone, so I hurried away to the next group of trees.
When I was sure my mother didn't see me I stopped hiding. I walked straight to the river, grabbing berries along the way.
A little to the West, lightning flashed. I quickened my pace. My mother for sure noticed I was missing and was searching for me. I had to warn my father about the storm.
I heard the thunder and broke into a full blast run. Wind started rushing against me, slowing me down. The dark clouds were right overhead.
Finally I reached the river. My father and the other village men were still trying to stop the flood water. At that time a huge gust of wind almost knocked me over.
"What are you doing here?" my father asked. "Shouldn't you be back home with your mother?"
"I came here to warn you," I replied. "The storm is too big. There is no way you can finish all this work before it hits!"
I could tell my father was frustrated. "The storm will not be here until tomorrow. We will work all night. Surely we will finish. At least we'll get as much done as I can. Now go home."
"But father, you must come too! It's a flash flood! A really big one, too!"
"I told you, go home! Now! Do not disobey me."
Lightning flashed right above us, causing a loud clap of thunder. Rain started falling. I figured I should at least get myself to safety.
The wind howled. As the rain fell, twigs and branches came down too. All of the corn was waving wildly.
I was running when my foot caught a fallen tree limb. It was hard keeping my balance and the wind pushed me all the way over.
While I was down the small poplar trees started rocking back and forth. One by one they fell over. The smallest one toppled over right on top of me. I screamed for help, but it was no use. The rain was pouring so hard now that nobody could hear me.
Frantically I started digging around me. There. One leg was free. Now for the other one. After both legs were loose I continued running.
When I stopped to catch a breath I looked up. The giant sacred tree was slowly moving back and forth, so I started running again. I heard a really loud crash, but I didn't look back.
Finally I got back home. My mother was really happy to see me. She was also worried about my father.
"I hope he'll be okay," she said. "I also wish that he had listened to you. Usually he has more sense than that."
"He's just trying to save the village," I muttered.
It rained all night. The storm was still going the next morning. Finally in the late afternoon it slowed down and stopped. My mother and I ventured outdoors.
The entire ground was swamped. Broken twigs and branches lay everywhere. There was nothing left of our crops.
We headed over to the river. My father and the other people were nowhere to be found. My mother and I looked all over, but we couldn't find them. After a long time, we finally gave up.
As we were walking back we passed by our corn field. The fallen stalks were blown all over the place. The sacred tree had been blown over on the remaining plants.
All of a sudden we heard someone calling from inside the tree. My mother and I looked inside. My father and the other people were hiding in the giant roots!
"Thank goodness!" my mother exclaimed. "I thought you were washed down the river!"
"Our legs were hurt when we were running, but we are alive. We were lucking to find the tree, because we would never had made it back home. Could you help us out?" my father asked.
We got them out of the tree and back home. I was very relieved. The next day we all replanted our crops. Until they grew again we would live off what wild berries were left.
One day my father cleared a large area and planted one seed. I asked him, "What was that?"
He answered, "It's a seed from the ancient tree that just died. The tree was here when we first came. This one was here when a miracle allowed us to survive the flood."
That tree grew up bigger than the first tree. It will probably live for hundreds of more years.
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